Tire-repair device and method



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,499

A. H. FISHER TIRE REPAIR DEVICE AND METHOD Filed July 25, 1927 INVENTOR.

teriorating and lessening the life of 39 be enlarged to Patented Dec.20, 1927.

nnnnar n. sienna, or EAs'r CLEVELAND,

ZPOBA'IED. OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

PATENT OFFICE.

onro, assumes. To max courm, moonnconronarron or mssoum.

rm-nuns. mwlca m mrrnon.

Application fled m as, 1921. Serial maaoam. v

This invention as indicated relates to a tire re air device and method.More particular y it comprises a tire repair ap aratus including aheaded tire repair p ug '5 with means secured to the resilient stemportion thereof to facilitate the insertion of said stem. within apuncture hole. It also includes a method of rapidly and effectivelysealing a puncture a erture in a tire casing from the ingress o ,dirtand articles of grit and sand and the like; w

cause injury to the inner tube of a tire casing, as well as to preventthe-entrance of moisture to the fabric layers of a casing desame.

The method contemplates the insertion of the permanently attachedterminal secured to the free end of the plug stem, through a 29 puncturehole and thereafter elongating and narrowingl the body portion of 'theplug stem so t at. it. may freely pass through a puncture holeofnarrower imension than the normal transverse dimension of said plu stem,until the inner face of the head of t e plug is drawn into firm contactwith the inner wall of the tire casing, and there'- after releasing thetension upon said re'silient portion of the plug stem so that itmaycompletely seal the puncture hole. y

Heretofore it has been the practice in using mushroom-shaped lugs to'repair holes in tire casings and t e like to insert the stem of saidplu within a socket formed in the base of a needle or inserting tool andto press the same from inside the casing through, the

head of the 40 with the inner wall of the tire casing and the insertinim lement was reinoved by drawing it t roug on the outer side of suchcasing, the stem then being cut 05 adjacent the outer surface of thetire. The use of an independent ins'rting-tool involves the matter ofadjusting the same to the size of the plug stem use and requires thatcare use irn not injurin he tool or having itunavailable when it islater required for use with other plugs.

The present invention provides for the ich would 7 the puncture apertureuntil the. p ug was brought into contact permanent mounting upon thefree end portion of the plug stem of an inserting implement in the formof avterminal cap preferably made of thin metal or other suitablematerial which cap preferably terminates in a conical point extreme endwith an aperture through which a headed wire is inserted,'said wireservin as a means for drawin said cap and t e associated plug ste'm trough the aperture to be close L To the accomplishment of theforegoing'andrelated ,ends, said inafter lly described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

The. annexed drawing and the following description set and one modeofcarrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating,however, hich inventionfuthen, consists of the method here- Y but one ofvarious ways in w the-principle of the invention may be used. In saidannexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing one form of construction involvingthe rinciple of my invention; Fig. 2 is a centrafvertical sectional viewof the construction shown in Fig. 1;' Fig. 3 is a front elevationshowing a which is provided in its forth in detail certain means.

modified form of constructionaFig. 4 is a perspective view illustratingthe conical metal tip shown m Fig. 3 prior to its attachment to the freeend of the stem of the plug; and Fig. 5' is a central vertical,sectional view of a still further modified construction.

As is clearly shown in Fi 1 and 2, in the form of construction use forpurposes of illustration of my invention, there is provided a plug 1having a head portion 2 and a stem portion 3, the plug being of thetiypeusually known as a mushroom-shaped p u The headmay be of elasticdeformable material or maybe of a rigid or sem-rigid construction, andthe material maydifier from that of the lug stem. The plu stem is formedin w ole or in art of e astic deformable material in or er .that saidstem be may be elongated-when the device is to be inserted througlfithepuncture hole of a tire' h a similar aperture in manufacture. The freeattached thereto an casing or throu other articles 0 end of the stem hasinserting implement or terminal member structure, 'if attached to theextreme end of,

an elastic soft rubber stem by crimping or like means, in manyinstances, will not obtain a secure enough engagement with the stem toprevent the elongation of the stem and the reduction of the size of thetip to a oint where it will esca e from the open lbwer end of the capmem er.

In oder to avoid this act-ion I find it desirab e to provide a bindingor securing element adjacent the free end oft the stem portion. This.may be accomplished in various ways, that illustrated in Fig. 1involving the provision of an area '4 of hardened or semi-hardenedrubber formed integrally with the softer portion of the tion of t stemand affording a means for securely anchoring and attaching the capmember to the end of the resilient stem. Instead of the free end portionof the stem is to. provide a securing base for an attaching and aninserting member. The securing base may be ofhardened or semi-hardenedrubber,

or may be formed in an suitable manner so long as it provides at t etipof the stem, a ortion of less. resiliency than the soft ruber portion ofthe stem, and et of sufiicient resiliency to serve as an anc orage forthe inserting member.- The inserting member maybe applied over thismodified tip portion of the stemias shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, orengaged within the modified tip ore stem as shown in Fig. 5. Variousmethods of attachment. may be used, but

the securing base is preferable within the'= cap member at a point aboveor adjacent the clam ing portion thereof. I

A r providing such changes at the tip of the resilient plug stem it isnecessary to attach the .cap member thereto. This may be accom lished ina number of diflerent ways in t e form illustrated in Fig. 1, the capmember 5 comprising a tapered sleeve of thin metal which may be engagedover the hardened or semi-hardened end of the clastic stem and held inposition by having an internal rib 6 spun into the base portion of saidcap beneath the hardened or semi-- hardened section of the stem. Beforeapplying the cap, a headed wire 7 is inserted through the aperture 8 inthe tip of the cap to serve as a meansfor engaging the cap and hole of atire casing or the like.

When a thin 'metal cap 11 of the character I illustrated in Figs. 3 and4 is to be applied, the sleeve'portion 12 is engaged over the hardenedend of the plug stem 13 and the prongs 14 formed around the lower marginof the cap are pressed inwardly. In some instances where heavy tensionis not to be applied to the inserting terminal, the cap may be appliedto the soft end of the stem and closely criinped thereto. Only a verymoderate degree of tension maybe used in such case, however. theintroduction of the stem through the puncture aperture, the cap memberis provided preferably with a wire 15 attached to the head portion bybeing formed with a head 16 of a size larger thanth'e size of theaperture 17 in the end of the cap.

In making a repair, said wire is engage through the puncture hole fromwithin the tire casing and is engaged exteriorly of said puncture holeby means of a gripping implement such as a pair of pliers It is obvious,however, that other means of introducing the cap may be employed, forinstance, the cap may iave an' elongated tapered point which may beprojected through the puncture hole and said point engaged by a pliersor other gripping implement to draw the same through said aperture.

After the cap is drawn through said puncture hole, the pull on the outerend of the device'is continued until the plug stem is In order tofacilitate drawn through the puncture aperture to a' point where theinner face of the head of the plug bears against the inner wall of thetire casing. During this process of drawing the plug stem through thepuncture aperture, the stem is elongated and reduced in transversedimension so that it passes freely throughan aperture of much largersize than that of the normal diameter of the plug stem. When the tensionon the end of the lug stem is released, the elasticitg' dy portion ofthe plug stem ten s to restore the "plug stem to its normal diameter.Itsreturn to normal size, however, is limited 'by the pressure of thewalls of the puncture .hole with which the outer surface of theresilient portion of the plug stem interenture .hole in the manner justdescribe the in the projecting end of the plug stem is severed at apoint-adjacent the outer surface of the tire casing and the remainingportion of the plug stem and the inserting attachment is discarded.

The form of construction. illustrated in Fig. 5 dispenses with the useof a separate cap member and utilizes the hardened rubber end of theplug stem to engage the inserb ingniember. In the form shown, the plugand. rigidity to firmly engage mentality such as a wire,

21 having head 22 and stem 23 of elastic material such as soft rubber isprovided atits upperend with a section made of hard or semi-hard rubber24 of sutiicient tenacity. the head 26 of an inserting wire 25 whichserves to seat the same within a puncture aperture. The end sectionpreferably is ta cred. .It is obvious that various forms 'of tii beproduced, including a stem with apertures or channels formed in the hardrubber tip adapted to be temporarily or permanently engaged by means ofan inserting instruelongate cap, or other form of inserting terminal. Atapered cap or shield 27 maybe provided above the top' face of thehardened or semi-hardened end of through the puncture aperture.

In addition to the apparatus just de scribed, .the invention asindicated has in view a new and improved method of tire casing repairinasmuch as a single instrumentality is provided which may be insertedthrough a puncture a erture with greater speed and more efiectivepuncture sealing ca aeity than devices of the character hereto oregenerall used. The method, involves the drawin through of the free endportion of the evice preliminar to the-elongation of the body portion ofthe plug stem to a size much smaller than its normal diameter andthereafter releasing said plugstem to completely fill the punctureaperture through its tendency to return to its original transversedimensions. p 1

Other modesof a plying the principle of my invention ma be employedinstead of the one explaine change bein made as re ards the methodherein. disclosed, provi ed the step or steps stated by any of thefollowing claims or the e uivalent of such stated ste or steps be empoyed.

I there ore particularly polnt out and distinctly claim. as m invention:

1. A device of t e character described having in combination a headedplug provided with a stem having a resilient body portion,

and an insertingimp and a less resilient end portion and a metalinsertin implement-permanently secured to said en portion.

2. A device of the character described having in combination a headedplug provided with a stem having a resilient body portion and a free endportion provided with a less resilient cap-engagin area adjacent saidend ement in the form of a cap of rigid material permanently engagedwith'said free end of said stem. r

I 3. A device of the character described havhaving in combination aheaded plug proing in combination a headed plug provided with a stemhaving a resilient body portion and a free end portion provided with aless resilient cap-engaging area adjacent said end, an insertingimplement in the form of is construction may the stem to facilitate itspassage:

- engaged with said adapted to form a securing a cap of rigid materialengaged. with said free end of said stern, in said. cap for preventingthe same from said stem.

4. A device of the character described havtheremoval of and meansprovided ing in combination a headed plug provided v with a stem havinga resilient body, portion and a free end portion provided with a lessresilient cap engaging area adjacent said end, an inserting implement inthe form of a capof rigid material engagedl with said free end of saidstem, and an internal rib provided in said cap for preventing theremoval of the same from said stem.

5. A device of the character described having in combination a headedplug provided with a stem having a resilient body portion and a free endportion provided with a less resilient cap-engaging area adjacent saidend,l an inserting implement in the form of-a cap of rigid materialfree. end of said stem, an internal rib-provided in said cap ata pointbelow said end portion of said stem for retaining said cap in positionupon said stem.

6. A device of the character described comprising a repair plug having ahead, and a stem of elastic deformable material having a body portion ofsuitable length to engage as a sealing element within the puncture holeof a tire casing and a modified free. end of more resistant materialthan the remaining portion of said stem to facilitate its insertionthrough the puncture hole and ,permit elongating the remaining portionof said stem by means of force applied to said modified portion of saidstem to cause said remaining portion to be narrowed. in transversedimension to more readily pass through the puncture hole.

7. A tire repair plug having a head and a stem section, sai stem havinga section adjacent the base thereof of elastic deformable material and asubstantially rigid nonelastic section adjacent the free end thereo forelongating the first-named section and inserting the same in a puncturehole.

8. A device of the character described having in combination a headedplug provided with a stem having a resilient body portion and an endportion of less resiliency ada ted to form a securing base for an'inserting member.

portion and an end portion of'less resiliency 7 base fora permanentlyattached inserting member.

10. A device of the character described vided with a stem having'aresilient body engaged over said end portion, and means gaged over saidend portion, and a confor permanently securing the same thereto.stricted opening formed adjacent the base 7 11. A device ofthe'character described of said inserting member and below said havingin combination a headed plug proless resilient area of the stem forpreventing vided with a stem having a resilientbody the removal thereoffrom the'endof the plug portion and an end portion of less resiliencystem. 1

adapted to form a securing base for an in- Signed by me this l8th dailofJu'1y, =1927. serting member, an inserting member en- 7 ALBERT .FISHER.

